To expand the eligibility for certain forest property tax breaks, increase their value, double the number of acres eligible for the tax breaks from 1.2 million to 2.4 million statewide, authorize a new 2 mill property tax on property in this program that would go to a proposed "Private Forestland Enhancement Fund" to subsidize private forestland management activities, and more. This and related bills are designed to facilitate use of a program granting property tax exemptions to owners of smaller "non-industrial" sized parcels of forestland.

Senate Bill 44, Add more crimes to sex offender registry: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on January 29, 2013

To place on the state’s public sexual offender registry individuals who commit certain crimes deemed insufficiently serious to warrant this consequence, except that the victim is a minor. This would include indecent exposure, knowingly possessing child sexually abusive material, surveillance of an undressed individual, and knowingly restraining another person. The additions would be retroactive, so that individuals convicted of these offenses in the past now would have to place themselves on the sex offender registry.

To convert Blue Cross Blue Shield into a “mutual insurance company” and make it subject to the same regulations as regular health insurers. Although it would remain a non-profit, current restrictions on the entity's ability to own for-profit subsidiaries would be reduced, and it would no longer be subject to close oversight by the state Attorney General. In return for being granted this conversion, BCBS would pay "up to" $1.56 billion over 18 years into a fund that would supplement various health-related government programs, as selected by a board of political appointees.

Senate Bill 123, Expand local convention facility authorities: Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on March 6, 2013

To allow the Grand Rapids and Kent County convention facility authorities to borrow and spend more to build or buy a second facility, including a "market" or a sports facility. The bill would also eliminate the 12 year term limits on members of these entities' boards.

House Bill 4111, Fund "Obamacare partnership exchange": Passed 78 to 31 in the House on February 28, 2013

To appropriate $30.5 million in federal grant money to set up a consumer assistance call center related to insurance subsidies provided by the federal health care law. The money will also be used for state Medicaid system software upgrades. The Senate never took up the bill and as a result Michigan has a purely federal "exchange."

SOURCE: MichiganVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website created by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, providing concise, non-partisan, plain-English descriptions of every bill and vote in the Michigan House and Senate. Please visit http://www.MichiganVotes.org.

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